Friday, March 29, 2013

Happy Easter !







A tribute to all the people at CHOP
Mighty MikeyD went back to CHOP again  on Wednesday for his checkups.
All I can tell you is this is the best place in the world for any sick child.
what makes it the best place in the world is the people who work there.
I mean all the people who work there including doctors, nurses, aides, sitters, therapists, child life counselors, social workers, receptionists, support staff ,and security. It takes a special type of person to work around sick children every day. These people who work here are by far the best most dedicated team of caring professionals you will ever come across. From the Doherty family on behalf of Mighty MikeyD the fighter we would like to thank everyone at CHOP for taking such great care of Mighty MikeyD.
We first met with Dr.Vetter who had already called us on Friday to tell us the results of MikeyD’s final genetic testing which takes months to get the final results. The results were all negative as were all the other test which is what I figured all along. MikeyD was never sick a day in his life before that tragic night in September he was a good athlete in good shape. We now know for sure it was due to dehydration caused by excessive running in the heat and humidity that night with the poor air quality  night. I sometimes wish the professionals at CHOP would of found something wrong. I always wish MikeyD stayed home that tragic night. Everything was against that poor kid that night school opened late this year due to the new block scheduling otherwise they would have been in the gym where they always were and this probably would not of happened and if it did they would have had a defibrillator. The main problem now is due to the amount of time he was down   with no response. The only thing that saved MikeyD that night was two guardian angels that you all know Bob and Rob. We met a lot of people at CHOP who were amazed when they saw MikeyD this time after all he went through. We were walking into the cafeteria and one of  the Chaplin’s grabbed my arm and said how is MikeyD doing ? She said I just seen his brother walking with his sister I told her no that is MikeyD she did not believe me I called out MikeyD and he turned around her jaw dropped she started crying she could not believe that was MikeyD. She told me she needed 48 hours to get herself together before she could talk to me. Then we met Kiona she is a cardiology fellow in the cardiac intensive care unit  who worked on MikeyD when he was in very critical condition. We were in the cafeteria getting lunch Moya, Ciara and I surprised her when we walked up to her and MikeyD walked over and gave her a big hug she said this is going to be a great day. Kiona called him MikeyD before she even knew that we called him MikeyD. Nurse Sarah and her sister Martha who is also a nurse came to see Mikeyd when we were with Dr.Vetter it was great to see them Sara wa one of the first nurses whi took care of  MikeyD when he wa sin ICU her sister was the last nurse that MikeyD had before he left. Then we met Meredith the child life counselor who really helped Julia and Ciara while we were at CHOP she took us up to the ICU where we came in and surprised everyone when MikeyD marched through the hall in his sneakers we showed him his room in the ICU. Then a lot of people gathered by the nurses’ station next to his old room doctors and nurses were there MikeyD asked me who are all these people I said they are the doctors and nurses who took great care of you when you were very sick. I have posted a few pictures above I wish we took a large group photo when everyone was there. In one of the pictures you can see Lori and Sarah who were with MikeyD in the first critical days. I will never forget the day when MikeyD still could not move I went to take a shower down the hall and when I got back Lori had washed and combed his hair what a difference that made in the way he looked laying there.Then we went over to the other side of the cardiac unit where MikeyD was they have a game room there when MikeyD could not walk, talk or use his arms Moya and I use to wheel him around in his wheel chair. I use to wheel him into the game room and I could tell in his mind he really wanted to play that hockey game. Yesterday Ciara, Meredith and MikeyD played that hockey game you can see the game in the picture above. When they were playing the game a medical person came up to me and said she had seen his scans and could not believe he was standing there playing that game. She told me that she was witnessing a true miracle. I told her we believe in Miracles.
Perfect timing on Holy Thursday also known as Thursday of Mysteries
 the Easter Triduum, the period which commemorates the passiondeath, and resurrection of Christ; this period includes Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and ends on the evening of Easter. Happy Easter to all of you. you can wish MikeyD a Happy Easter here or at http://www.carepages.com/carepages/MikeyD 
 MikeyD told us the story of how he left us and came back to us he was taken to CHOP in a helicopter we showed him where he landed on the roof and watched with him as a helicopter landed as you can see in the picture above..
I saw the shirts at CHOP that say Hope lives here. We have the Hope for Children foundation.
I have always believed where there is life there is Hope.
I also want to tell you to never ever give up on anyone especially family !
 We believe in Miracles !
Please keep praying and posting for Mighty MikeyD !

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Thursday Night





What a weekend it was for Mighty MikeyD. it started out on Friday night with an AWG huddle where he was presented with a signed Basketball from the coaches of DUKE and UCLA. Then on Saturday Night MikeyD was the Honoree for the Hope for Children Foundation. it was a Gala event held at the Ocean Place Hilton Spa  Long Branch in the Ballroom. From the invitation  The Hope for Children Foundation will be holding our 9th Annual Gala at the Ocean Place Resort + Spa in Long Branch, NJ.
This year’s Honoree is Michael  “MikeyD”  Doherty of Middletown a 12 year old athlete who suffered a severe heart attack while playing travel basketball. MikeyD  lost consciousness for 35 minutes resulting in traumatic brain injury. He had to be airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). MikeyD is currently being treated at the Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside. I have to tell you this is a great organization run by a great group of young professionals. From the board of directors to all of the supporters we would like to thank all of you for  making MikeyD the St. Patrick’s day Honoree. I admire all of you and am proud of all that you do for the Children in need right here in Monmouth county. Mighty MikeyD is heading back to CHOP next week where he will have his built in defibrillator and pace maker tested. The last time we were at CHOP MikeyD was in a wheel chair this time the miracle in sneakers will march through the halls without his wheelchair. We will meet with Dr. Vetter for all his testing and then we will take MikeyD up to the cardiac ICU to see his old room where he laid in a coma, could not speak or move his hands or arms and visit with the great doctors and nurses who took such excellent care of him while he was there. They have become like family to us. Mighty MikeyD has come a long way and he still has a long way to go. He does battle every day with short term memory problems. His life as a 12 year old boy as he knew it was taken away from him but he is determined to come back to us and fights the good fight every day. We will keep you posted on how he makes out at CHOP.Please pray for MikeyD that his short term memory will return. A belated Happy St. Patrick’s day to all of you.
May the blessing of light be upon you,
Light on the outside, 
Light on the inside.
With God's sunlight shining on you, 
May your heart glow with warmth, 
Like a turf fire 
that welcomes friends and strangers alike.
May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes,
Like a candle in the window, 
Welcoming the weary traveler.
We believe in miracles.
Please keep praying and posting for MikeyD

Monday, March 11, 2013

Monday Night




Mighty MikeyD keeps getting stronger and better every day. it really does seem like the Cog rehab speech therapy occupational therapy and physical therapy are working. Last week MikeyD went to an Upward  basketball game at New Monmouth Baptist church he use to play basketball there as well. you should of seen the reception that they gave him there. You  could tell from Steve and Andy how happy everyone was to see him walk in the gym. They made an announcement that is was a championship game and they said  a champion just walked in the door.it was very nice and uplifting for MikeyD to be there and be treated so well when Steve's wife Megan heard he was there she came specially to see him. More proof that the power of prayer works everyone at New Monmouth Baptist has been and continues to pray for MikeyD's recovery and we thank all of you. Mighty MikeyD has been really enjoying his new puppy that he named Peanut he spends half his time between peanut and his new Ipad. The Puppy has been one of the greatest things for him it is amazing what a pet can do for someone in need. You can see in the picture above how good the two of them get along. What also really impressed me last week when MikeyD got his new Ipad the first thing he said to me after we set it up is we need to download some educational App’s talk about a miracle. He is now playing  math bingo as well as a bunch of other educational games. As a reminder if anyone has kids playing sports please get them screened especially if they play basketball. Tragedy struck North Carolina  two weeks ago when Josh Level, one of the state’s most promising young basketball players, collapsed during a time out with only three minutes left in the game and he died shortly after that. Let us all say a prayer for Josh and his family. May he rest in peace. This is happening more and more some  can be from dehydration some can be from  long QT syndrome a few more have happened  in between since I posted the last one. I hear about more than you do because of thing I am involved with now. So please get your kids screened. I know a few families from Middletown have been to CHOP I hear about it when I speak to the doctors. I know one family who have taken their daughter and they met with Dr.Naim when she told them the story of mighty MikeyD they all got the chills Dr. Naim agreed that he is truly a miracle in sneakers. If anyone does have their kids screened and find out they need a specialist just let me know if you need help getting an appointment at CHOP and I will do everything I can to help. I recommend you check out Youth Heart Watch. Youth Heart Watch at the Cardiac Center

Youth Heart Watch mission

The mission of Youth Heart Watch is to prevent sudden cardiac death among children and adolescents by placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools, recreation centers and other public places.

An AED is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to change an abnormal heart rhythm to normal.
Youth Heart Watch is an affiliate of Project ADAM. (Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory), a private, not-for-profit program initiated through Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. The program was created in 1999 in honor of Adam Lemel, who died at age 17 from cardiac arrest while playing basketball.
Youth Heart Watch aims to have an AED placed in every school in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware and provide training and education for students and staff. The hope is that lives will not only be saved through the use of AEDs, but through increased awareness of the warning signs that precede sudden cardiac arrest and the risk factors for this condition.

Lord Jesus I come before you just as I am Heal me. Change me. Strengthen me...
We believe in Miracles !!!
please keep praying and posting for MikeyD .